3 ON YOUR SIDE: A new Green Dot card scam

Law enforcement agencies in Hamilton County, including the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, say they have received numerous complaints over the past few weeks from citizens concerning the latest version of a "Green Dot Card Scam."

The scam goes like this:

Victims receive a phone from a male who identifies himself as a Lieutenant with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

The imposter tells the victim they have failed to appear in court on a warrant, and to avoid going to jail he will direct them to go to WalMart or Rite Aid and purchase a Green Dot Card for a designated amount of money.

The victim is then advised to call the imposter back and provide him with the numbers shown on the card.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office does not follow up on outstanding warrants in this fashion, according to Janice Atkinson, the agency's Public Information Officer.

The agency's standard practice is to contact a person with an outstanding warrant, and coordinate with them to either turn themselves in at the jail or detectives assigned to the Fugitive Division will physically apprehend the person.

The Sheriff's office asks that anyone receives who a phone call from a person representing themselves as law enforcement and asking the person to obtain a "Green Dot Card," or anyone who knows the identity of those perpetrating this scam, to contact the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office at (423) 209-8940.